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South Tucson's Newspaper EI Periódico de South Tucson
El Independiente
Free/gratis
Sargento bajo
investigación
Por Jeff Lund
Reportero
El Comandante de la
Policía de South Tucson indi-ca
que actualmente se están
llevan acabo investigaciones
internas y criminales para
determinar la acción apropia-da
que debe tomarse en ei
caso del Sargento dei
Departamento de Policía de
South Tucson, Richard
García, quien fue arrestado
por manejar en estado de
ebriedad.
El domingo, 3 de noviem-bre.
García. de 41 años de
edad, fue arrestado por
agentes de la policía de
Tucson, por manejar en estado
de ebriedad.
"Hemos iniciado una
investigación interna" dijo
Sixto Molina, Comandante de
la Policía. La investigación es
para determinar sí se
cometieron infracciones".
García fue arrestado a las
Jose Ceja
Jeremy Cook
Staff Writers
A recent audit of the
South Tucson Police
Department revealed an ineffi-cient
and overly restrictive
policy on the release of police
reports, according to an expert
in public records law.
Phil Higdon, an attorney
specializing in media law at
Beown & Bain law firm, said
the audit showed the depart-
11:30 p.m., mientras agentes
de la Policía de Tucson inves-tigaban
a dos carros que se
encontraban parados a la
mitad de la calle, cerca de la
intersección de East Fifth
Street y North McKinley
Avenue.
Los agentes dicen que
efectuaron el arresto al notar a
dos vehículos parados a la
mitad de la calle, sin ningún
motivo aparente.
Molina dijo que en con-junción
con la investigación
interna de South Tucson, el
Departamento de Policía de
Tucson ha iniciado una inves-tigación
criminal sobre los
hechos de esa noche.
Molina dijo que García
tuvo vacaciones programadas
durante la semana desputs del
incidente, pero ha regresado a
trabajar y desempeña sus
Vea Investigación
en página 4
ment's reluctance to fully
adhere to an Arizona statute
mandating that such records
"be open to inspection by any
person at all times during
business hours."
In some cases, it took as
long as a week to obtain
copies of police reports, and
important information was
often withheld.
Though state law permits
the redaction of information
that may threaten victims and
11jgj AiR%s/A
i ç
A censored copy of one report given to El
Independiente by the South Tucson Police
Department.
Serving South Tucson since 1976 December/diciembre 2002
Baking up a storm
Kelly Rashka/E/ Independiente
Veronica Vironet is part of the huge Thanksgiving
baking effort at Le Cave's Bakery, which sells
more than 1,500 pies during this time of year.
Records policies draw criticism
witnesses of a crime- for
example, personal addresses
and phone numbers- or
impede an ongoing investiga-tion,
the police department's
policy on disclosing police
reports is far from ideal,
Higdon said.
El Independiente had no
difficulty obtaining copies of
the department's police log or
an incident report of criminal
trespass and disturbing the
peace. These records were
produced in five minutes and
24 hours respectively and with
little resistance from the
department.
However, an incident
report of an open investigation
involving death threats made
on Nov. 11, requested by an El
Independiente reporter, was
not received at the time of
printing, though more than 10
days had elapsed.
Arizona law mandates the
"prompt" release of public
records if a request is made,.
but the definition of "prompt"
is left open to broad interpre-tation,
allowing records
departments to justify unnec-essary
delays, Higdon said.
"But a week is too much
time (to receive the death
threats report)," Higdon said.
"It should be received in 24
hours, 48 tops."
Oftentimes, the release of
a police report may be delayed
if the department thinks cer-tain
information could com-promise
an investigation, a
trial or a person's safety. Such
information must be edited
out by the case detective or
prosecutor, a process that can
impede a record's release. -
"If there's victims
involved, we have to redact
some information," City
Attorney Hector Figueroa
said.
But based on reports
received by EI Independiente
reporters, it appears that the
department often retains more
information than is "legiti-mately
withholdable," said
Higdon.
See Records page 6
Primavera
warms up
homeless
By Jesse Smith
Staff Writer
With the holiday season
approaching, nighttime tem-peratures
are predicted to
drop to the near-freezing
point. Swamp coolers and air
conditioners have gone into
hibernation. Tucsonans have
tumed to their fumaces, gas
heaters, and fireplaces to keep
them warm from the winter
chill.
But for homeless people
in Tucson, there is no thermo-stat
dial to reach for.
This is where Primavera
Foundation of South Tucson
steps in.
"We start off with relief
and referral at the day shelter
we have. That's where people
can come in between 8 a.m.
and 4 p.m. and get food and
toiletries. They're given
vouchers for clothing," dona-tion
coordinator Jeannie
Bennett said.
Primavera accepts dona-tions
of food, clothing, blan-kets,
and toiletries, and dis-tributes
them to people at
their facility at 702 S. Sixth
Ave.
"Basically, if life turns on
a dime, we have a mail serv-ice
so they can get their mail
at our shelter. We also try to
get phone cards donated so
they can call long distance,"
Bennett said.
See Primavera page 8
Inside
- Day of the Dead
observance at
Mission View,
pages 5 and 7.
- Performance
labels help
schools make
changes, page 2.
- Holiday calendar
of events, page 8.

The contents of this collection are available to the public for use in research, teaching, and private study. U.S. Copyright and intellectual property laws may apply to the resources made available through this site.

The contents of this collection are available to the public for use in research, teaching, and private study. U.S. Copyright and intellectual property laws may apply to the resources made available through this site.

Full-text

South Tucson's Newspaper EI Periódico de South Tucson
El Independiente
Free/gratis
Sargento bajo
investigación
Por Jeff Lund
Reportero
El Comandante de la
Policía de South Tucson indi-ca
que actualmente se están
llevan acabo investigaciones
internas y criminales para
determinar la acción apropia-da
que debe tomarse en ei
caso del Sargento dei
Departamento de Policía de
South Tucson, Richard
García, quien fue arrestado
por manejar en estado de
ebriedad.
El domingo, 3 de noviem-bre.
García. de 41 años de
edad, fue arrestado por
agentes de la policía de
Tucson, por manejar en estado
de ebriedad.
"Hemos iniciado una
investigación interna" dijo
Sixto Molina, Comandante de
la Policía. La investigación es
para determinar sí se
cometieron infracciones".
García fue arrestado a las
Jose Ceja
Jeremy Cook
Staff Writers
A recent audit of the
South Tucson Police
Department revealed an ineffi-cient
and overly restrictive
policy on the release of police
reports, according to an expert
in public records law.
Phil Higdon, an attorney
specializing in media law at
Beown & Bain law firm, said
the audit showed the depart-
11:30 p.m., mientras agentes
de la Policía de Tucson inves-tigaban
a dos carros que se
encontraban parados a la
mitad de la calle, cerca de la
intersección de East Fifth
Street y North McKinley
Avenue.
Los agentes dicen que
efectuaron el arresto al notar a
dos vehículos parados a la
mitad de la calle, sin ningún
motivo aparente.
Molina dijo que en con-junción
con la investigación
interna de South Tucson, el
Departamento de Policía de
Tucson ha iniciado una inves-tigación
criminal sobre los
hechos de esa noche.
Molina dijo que García
tuvo vacaciones programadas
durante la semana desputs del
incidente, pero ha regresado a
trabajar y desempeña sus
Vea Investigación
en página 4
ment's reluctance to fully
adhere to an Arizona statute
mandating that such records
"be open to inspection by any
person at all times during
business hours."
In some cases, it took as
long as a week to obtain
copies of police reports, and
important information was
often withheld.
Though state law permits
the redaction of information
that may threaten victims and
11jgj AiR%s/A
i ç
A censored copy of one report given to El
Independiente by the South Tucson Police
Department.
Serving South Tucson since 1976 December/diciembre 2002
Baking up a storm
Kelly Rashka/E/ Independiente
Veronica Vironet is part of the huge Thanksgiving
baking effort at Le Cave's Bakery, which sells
more than 1,500 pies during this time of year.
Records policies draw criticism
witnesses of a crime- for
example, personal addresses
and phone numbers- or
impede an ongoing investiga-tion,
the police department's
policy on disclosing police
reports is far from ideal,
Higdon said.
El Independiente had no
difficulty obtaining copies of
the department's police log or
an incident report of criminal
trespass and disturbing the
peace. These records were
produced in five minutes and
24 hours respectively and with
little resistance from the
department.
However, an incident
report of an open investigation
involving death threats made
on Nov. 11, requested by an El
Independiente reporter, was
not received at the time of
printing, though more than 10
days had elapsed.
Arizona law mandates the
"prompt" release of public
records if a request is made,.
but the definition of "prompt"
is left open to broad interpre-tation,
allowing records
departments to justify unnec-essary
delays, Higdon said.
"But a week is too much
time (to receive the death
threats report)," Higdon said.
"It should be received in 24
hours, 48 tops."
Oftentimes, the release of
a police report may be delayed
if the department thinks cer-tain
information could com-promise
an investigation, a
trial or a person's safety. Such
information must be edited
out by the case detective or
prosecutor, a process that can
impede a record's release. -
"If there's victims
involved, we have to redact
some information," City
Attorney Hector Figueroa
said.
But based on reports
received by EI Independiente
reporters, it appears that the
department often retains more
information than is "legiti-mately
withholdable," said
Higdon.
See Records page 6
Primavera
warms up
homeless
By Jesse Smith
Staff Writer
With the holiday season
approaching, nighttime tem-peratures
are predicted to
drop to the near-freezing
point. Swamp coolers and air
conditioners have gone into
hibernation. Tucsonans have
tumed to their fumaces, gas
heaters, and fireplaces to keep
them warm from the winter
chill.
But for homeless people
in Tucson, there is no thermo-stat
dial to reach for.
This is where Primavera
Foundation of South Tucson
steps in.
"We start off with relief
and referral at the day shelter
we have. That's where people
can come in between 8 a.m.
and 4 p.m. and get food and
toiletries. They're given
vouchers for clothing," dona-tion
coordinator Jeannie
Bennett said.
Primavera accepts dona-tions
of food, clothing, blan-kets,
and toiletries, and dis-tributes
them to people at
their facility at 702 S. Sixth
Ave.
"Basically, if life turns on
a dime, we have a mail serv-ice
so they can get their mail
at our shelter. We also try to
get phone cards donated so
they can call long distance,"
Bennett said.
See Primavera page 8
Inside
- Day of the Dead
observance at
Mission View,
pages 5 and 7.
- Performance
labels help
schools make
changes, page 2.
- Holiday calendar
of events, page 8.